Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease that is estimated to affect 50 million people worldwide.
Generally, epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures, movements that can involve part or the entire body.
There may also be problems with bladder function or loss of consciousness.
What is Epilepsy?
As already mentioned, epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by the presence of seizures, which are a brief change in normal brain activity.
These seizures can be brief or extended episodes, which makes them a serious situation to attend to.
If a person has a seizure, it does not mean that they have epilepsy. To be considered a person with epilepsy you must have two or more unprovoked seizures.
What is an epileptic seizure like?
The reality is that an epileptic attack, correctly named an epileptic seizure, can be very different in each person.
This is because seizures vary depending on where they begin in the brain and how it spreads.
Loss of consciousness, movement disorders, changes in the senses such as vision, taste, or hearing, or even changes in cognitive functions and mood are characteristics of this condition.
Sometimes, the person who is experiencing a seizure may feel confused or keep their eyes fixed on an irrelevant point.
Seizures are generally classified into two groups:
- Generalized seizures. This type of seizure begins simultaneously throughout the brain, frequently resulting in loss of consciousness.
- Focal seizures. It only develops in one part of the brain; it can affect movement or awareness and is the main type of seizure that can be detected.
Epilepsy, common causes
There are many mechanisms of other diseases that can trigger epilepsy, although the reality is that its cause is currently unknown in about 50% of cases.
In the other 50%, which can be identified, the causes are divided into:
- Structural. After suffering prenatal or perinatal brain damage.
- Genetics. Congenital or brain malformations.
- Infectious. Meningitis, encephalitis, or neurocysticercosis can trigger this.
- Other. Various metabolic and immunological situations or even the presence of brain tumors and stroke are the cause of epileptic seizures.
The use of medication is one of the main treatments that can be used to address this type of condition, but if this is not enough, epilepsy specialists may consider surgery as an alternative treatment.
If you want to know more about epilepsy and its treatments, come to the ABC Medical Center’s Epilepsy Clinic, we can provide you with the care you need. Contact us! Contact us!
